Machine for splitting cane or other longitudinally-fibrous substances.



1. KING. MACHINE FOR SPLITTING CANE OR OTHER LONGITUDINALLY FIBROUS SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1916.

1,199,570.- PatentedSept. 26,1916.

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wzmea ffm Arm/m'm marrnn sra rns rarnnir orricn JAMES KING, OF LONIDGN, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR SPLITTING CANE QR GTHER LGNGITUDINALLY-FIBROUS SUBSTANCES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, James KING, subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 139 Springbank road, Hither Green, London, S; E., England, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in or Relating to Machines for Splitting Cane or other Longitudinally-Fibrous' Substances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the splitting of cane and other like fibrous material employed in the manuf cture of baskets, woven furniture and for other purposes, and has for its object to construct an improved splitting machine. I

The invention comprises the combination with a splitting knife, of a centralizing device comprising a plurality of guiding pieces formed or arranged in conjunction with levers, each lever being pivoted at one end at a fixed point and at the other end to a rotatable plate, and a controlling spring acting on the plate.

Referring to the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings :-Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 a plan of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the machine showing the centralizing device em- 6. This lrnife'is in the form of a circular block of steel mounted co-axially with an aperture 0 in the plate a. The cutting edges are formed by the sharp front edges of division pieces between an inner aperture (Z and a number of outer apertures e passing through the knife block b. Preferably the apertures (Z and e taper from the front to the back in order to provide a clearance for the split portions of the cane. The outer diameter of the ring of apertures e is equal to or rather greater than the diameter of the cane to be treated. The knife block is held in position by any convenient means, such as the circular plate 7' to be hereinafter referred to, this plate being attached to the plate a by screws or other fastenings. At the front of the plate a is secured a pair of parallel horizontal guides g on which is mounted a cross-head h carrying a cane feeding device. This device consists of a pair of tapered blocks a formed with a parallel aperture through which the cane can pass and specification of etters'latent. Patented Sept. 26, 1915. Application filed May 16, 1916. Serial No, 97,876; i

arranged to move in a tapered guide 9'. The blocks are drawn to the inner end of the guide by a spring 7e, and are connected by a slottedlinlr 'Z. Apertures m and a in the cross-head and in the front of the guide respectively permit the passage of the cane through thebloclrs i to the splitting knife.

The feeding device is reciprocated by means of an eccentric 0 which transmits its motion to the cross-head through a connecting rod 7;. During the movement of the cross-head toward the splitting knife the blocks i grip the cane and force it past the cutting edges,

immediately adjacent to the front of the splitting knife and comprises a number of guidepieces g formed or provided with a corresponding number of levers r. In the arrangement shown three guide pieces 9 are employed, and each of these is formed integrally with a lever a. One end of each lever is pivotedto the fixed plate f above referred to, while the other end of each lever is pivoted to a rotatable plate 8 which is device and the splitting knife is mounted provided with a handle 25 and controlled by a spring u. A movement of any one of the guide pieces 9 is accompanied by a corresponding movement of each of the other guide pieces. By this arrangement involving the use of the rotatable plate the centrality of the guide pieces with the cutting edges of the splitting knife is obtained in a more convenient manner than heretofore. The levers 1" are movable by means of the handle t against the action of the spring for expanding the guiding pieces 9 when it is desired to insert the front end of the cane within the centralizing device. If the cane by deflection or unevenness of diameter presses sufliciently on one of the guide pieces spring u the other guide pieces automati Cally move correspondingly to the same eX- tent and so cause the cane to retain the central position relatively to the splitting knife.

Preferably two or more sets of feeding and cutting devices are arranged in con junction with the same eccentric, and two or more machines may be situated side by to move the same against the action of the l side so that they can be operated from the same shaft 41. In this case the eccentrics are preferably disposed oppositely to each other or at equal angular distancesaround the 7 guide and any other disposition of spring or arrangement of link or the like for connecting the blocks may be adopted. Also, as regards thecutting knife, theshape and disposition of the cutting edges may be varied to suit the forms required in the splitting material.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for splitting cane and other like longitudinally fibrous material, the combination with a splitting knife, of a centralizing device comprising a plurality of guiding pieces, levers with which the said pieces are arranged, a rotatable plate and a fixed plate to which the opposite ends of the levers are respectively pivoted, and a controlling spring acting on the rotatable plate, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for splitting cane and other like longitudinally fibrous material,

the combination comprising a splitting knife, a reciprocatory feeding device, and a centralizing device, sald centralizing device comprising a plurality of guiding pieces, levers with which the said pieces are ar-- ranged, a rotatable plate and a fixed plate to which the opposite ends of the levers are respectively pivoted,' spring acting on the rotatable plate, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for splitting cane and other like longitudinally fibrous material,

the combination comprising a splitting knife and a controlling formed with a plurality of edges between a central aperture and a number of. outer apertures, a pair of tapered feed blocks formed with a parallel aperture, guides for said blocks, a controlling spring and link in conjunction with the blocks, a reciprocatory cross-head carrying the said feed blocks and guides, and a centralizing device arranged in conjunction with the splitting knife, said device comprising a plurality of guiding pieces, levers with which the said pieces are arranged, a rotatable plate and a fixed plate to which the opposite ends of the levers are respectively pivoted, and a controlling spring acting on the rotatable plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

- JAMES KING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

